Tool accessories, such as drill bits, may be conveniently stored and organized within a case, a caddy, a storage box, etc. One such known storage device for drill bits is a drill index, which typically includes a tip out tool holder housed within a storage case. The drill index securely stores the drill bits in an organized manner. In a closed position, the indexed tools are secured within the tip out holders, and in an open position, the indexed tools are accessible for use. The closed and/or open position may be defined by the storage case and/or the tip out holder itself.
Tip out holders have been commonly used in the market for tools with hexagonal shanks. When the hexagonal shank is configured with a circumferential ball detent groove, the geometric feature of the shank can be used to retain the tool within the tip out holder. In other words, the tool is axially retained within the tip out holder until a predetermined axial force is exerted by the user to remove the tool from the holder.
Tip out holders have also been used for round shank products such as drill bits, but the configuration of the tool shank has limited practical applications. Round shank tools are essentially cylindrical in nature, so there is no geometric feature that can readily be used to retain the tools. In the instances where a tip out has been used with round shank tools, the tool storage case itself is commonly configured to help capture the round shank tools and prevent them from becoming dislodged from the tip out.
For instance, some prior art round shank drill indexes configure one side of the case to capture the tools when closed. However, in order to capture the tools, the case obscures visibility of the tools. Accordingly, the tools cannot be easily displayed in a retail setting. Some prior art round shank drill indexes are configured such that the larger tools are stacked over the smaller tools in order to contain the smaller tools in the case. In such designs, the tools are not organized in a manner that allows a user to easily see all the tool sizes as the larger tools obscure the view of the smaller tools.
Other prior art round shank drill indexes have been laid out in a book type configuration with the case acting as the front and back covers and each row of tools acting like pages. The primary disadvantage to this book type configuration is that the end user must “page” through the rows of tools to gain access to the tools. In other words, the end user only has easy access to one row of tools at a time. The other disadvantage to this book type configuration is cost. The book layout uses several complicated parts to accomplish its indexing, and the component cost is prohibitive in smaller piece count sets.
Yet other prior art round shank drill indexes use a physical interference to retain the tool within the holder. For instance, the drill shank meets a feature in the holder that adds a friction contact to the tool. While effective to resist movement of the tools within the holder, this design is not without its drawbacks. The friction makes it harder to remove or replace the tools that are already difficult to grasp (especially the smaller sizes). As such, it can become hazardous for the end user. The tools are sharp, and installation or removal puts the user at risk for cuts or impaling their fingers. The friction feature can also fail to secure the tools in certain situations. If the storage case is closed and stored in a position where vibration or gravity can act upon it (such as during transportation to the work site), the tools can become dislodged.
Based on at least the foregoing, an improvement in round shank drill indexes can be appreciated.